CHAPTER 3
Gabriel and I were too astonished to move.
“What just happened?” Poor Gabriel, he hadn't had any prior warning about Elohim's madness. I may not have wholly believed Lucifer but at least I had had a few minutes to start getting used to the idea.
“Lucifer spoke of this. I didn't want to accept what he told me as truth but it appears he wasn't exaggerating. If anything he underestimated how much Elohim has changed.” I slowly stood back up at the same time Gabriel sank to the ground. My brother was shaking.
“Remiel, what is all this? What does it mean? How do we stop them?”
“I don't know if we can or what it means. We need to call all of our brothers together. Lucifer said he'd be willing to tell everyone his side.”
Gabriel's head was bowed, he dug his fingers into the ground.
“We should have stopped him before it got this far, Michael and I. We had a chance, we thought ourselves too busy to get involved.”
“What do you mean?”
“Elohim came to us, to discuss his plans for this new creation. He wanted our help at first, not Lucifer's. The Morningstar may be Elohim's favorite among us but he knows how independent Lucifer can be. Elohim said that he wanted to design a creation based off of the two of us because we have always been the most faithful to him. Michael and I thought the whole idea nonsense and told him so, then we left to take care of other assignments. I guess he went to Lucifer after that. If only we had agreed to help him maybe we could have built in a flaw that would have made it fail and he would have given up. Once Lucifer takes a challenge he keeps at it until what he is creating is perfect. He would not have purposely made a creation fail. His solution to the problem has made it much worse. In making her a truly independent and intelligent creature he has pushed Elohim even further. Now he won't stop until he gets exactly what he wants.”
“Is that why you and Michael both referred to some sort of storm coming? You already knew what his plans were. You knew what he was working on and it never dawned on either of you to mention something was a bit off.”
I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I remember I had a brief conversation with Michael and Elohim about this new creation but at the time I was deep into figuring out how to create mammals that lived underwater and hadn't really paid too much attention.
His eyes flashed with anger. “Understand we weren't completely aware of the extent of his design. He never mentioned this whole concept of wanting creations to fawn over him. You are not completely blameless here. Elohim spoke with all of us at one point or another. If anyone is truly to blame it is Lucifer. He should have informed us as soon as he realized Elohim's true intentions.”
There it was again, Lucifer as the problem. The constant refrain of “Blame Lucifer” was starting to anger me. There was a crackling sound, the world became tinted with a lavender haze and the air heated up around me. Gabriel's eyes began to widen and he slowly backed away. I didn't understand at first, then realized that my anger was causing my aura to flare. As far as I can remember that was the first time I had truly experienced anger, I wish I could say it was the last. It was a struggle getting these new emotions under control and I'll admit I took a few steps towards Gabriel before I could stop myself.
Closing my eyes I turned away from him and slowly calmed myself. “My apologies brother. There is no point blaming each other or Lucifer. The true problem is Elohim, he will not stop until his vision is realized. That is what we need to focus on for now. Please summon Uriel, Michael and Raguel. I will call for Seraqual, Raphael and Lucifer. We must decide together what our next steps should be.”
“Shouldn't we call for Elohim as well?” Gabriel asked.
“Not yet.” Yet another decision I came to regret later. “It will only result in another argument between he and Lucifer and nothing will be accomplished. One thing at a time. Let's see what our brothers have to say about this before we confront Elohim again.”
Gabriel nodded, closed his eyes and started to summon our brothers. We had to be quiet about it as it was entirely possible that Elohim would feel the energy we sent out to summon the others. I had a feeling that in his arrogance he would just ignore it. I summoned Lucifer and the others and within a few minutes they all appeared. Lucifer had brought Lillith, apparently he wasn't too keen on leaving her unattended. I cringed when I saw her, her presence would only add additional difficulties but apparently he had thought ahead. He lightly touched her forehead and she fell asleep, that took me by surprise. I wasn't aware that we had the ability to do that.
“How did you do that?” I asked.
“I'm not sure, I just told her to sleep and she did.”
Between the new feelings of anger, the experience of Elohim shoving me, Lucifer's revelations about Elohim, what he gifted Lillith with and this new use of our powers I had reached a breaking point.
“Perhaps you should share these new developments with all of us for once instead of assuming we aren't worth your time.” I snapped, the world was once again shaded in lavender overtones.
“Remiel? What are you doing?” Uriel's soft voice came from behind me. I turned and saw the confusion and concern on my brother's faces.
“Brothers, Elohim has greatly overstepped his bounds. This creation of his was not about a design challenge or creating a helpmate, it was about making something to worship him. It is hard to explain. I have spoken to both Elohim and Lucifer about this, Gabriel spoke with Elohim as well. We are all at fault for not noticing these things sooner however Elohim is the true concern, not what we did or did not choose to do with whatever knowledge we had at the time.” That was my attempt at directing their focus away from Lucifer and to Elohim. “Lucifer, as you were the one most directly involved I think you should tell us everything that happened.” I hoped that he would make sure to include what he gifted Lillith with. I didn't want to have to bring it up myself. He looked at me, his eyes narrowed a bit but he gave me a slight nod. It seemed he understood that if he wanted me as an ally he would have to include his earlier deception of us along with his deception of Elohim.
He put on his most charming expression, “Sit brothers, this will take some time.” Raphael and Michael gave him a uneasy look, Seraqual, Raguel and Uriel seemed curious but showed no signs of concern. How I wished I could have joined them in their ignorance. We sat down on the ground in a rough circle. A few sparrows landed in the center of the circle and pecked at the ground looking for seeds. Raguel created a handful of seeds on the spot and sprinkled them on the ground in front of him. The birds hopped over and he lightly rubbed their heads as they ate. He had always been fond of any creature that could fly. Lucifer began to speak.
“When Elohim came to me with the idea of this new creation I will admit that I was immediately intrigued by the concept. As you all know I always seek out the most complicated things to design. Perhaps my desire to create something wholly new and different overruled any misgivings I may have felt about his goals.”
That statement was probably the closest thing to admitting that perhaps he was wrong and bore some responsibility for everything that happened that Lucifer would ever speak.
“In the beginning it seemed like a harmless way to pass the time, Elohim and I exchanged ideas and spent many hours thoroughly engulfed in the project. You do have to admit brothers that we have all done the same over the eons, become utterly enthralled by a new idea, a new creature. It consumes you, you think of little else, even to the point of boring the rest of us.”
Before that morning I would have been nodding along with Lucifer, just as most of my brothers were. Now that I knew how devious and silken tongued he could be I kept my mind much more alert to what he was really doing, not merely what he was saying. This was shaping up to be another masterful performance on his part and I found myself hoping he could truly make the others realize what our true concern should be.
“As time went on Elohim started to speak of confusing, complicated things. He seemed to be more and more concerned that our creations didn't truly understand how blessed they were that they had been made. To be honest brothers, I wasn't really able to comprehend the complexity of what he was saying. I, like all of you, have always been quite content with what our roles in the universe are. We are tools of the will of the universe, we are truly fortunate to be part of the forces of creation. I expressed this to him and it only seemed to agitate him more; he said I was too simple and content, that I should look around myself and see what we truly are.” He paused and looked at each of us in turn.
As if on cue Seraqual asked the question, giving Lucifer the perfect opening. “What did he say we are?”
“At first I was too nervous to ask him what he meant. I much preferred discussing design than philosophy. However the closer and closer to completing the design we came, the more and more unstable he seemed to be. He started speaking of wanting a creation that would appreciate him and us, that would be thankful, that would recognize that we were responsible for it's existence.” Lucifer stood up and started pacing, as if becoming agitated over the memories of the conversations he had had with Elohim. “I was astonished brothers. After all, that is not our purpose.” He closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around himself.
I was still the only one that knew to what extent Lucifer could act and it took all I had to keep myself from educating my brothers that he was not as upset as he appeared. My brothers were all leaning towards him, hanging on his every word and gesture.
Michael was even more solemn than usual.“Wait, he wanted to create something that would recognize us. I don't understand the purpose behind that.” He exchanged a glance with Gabriel and I saw a hint of guilt in that glance. It seemed that Michael's thoughts were traveling the same path that Gabriel's had when we had spoken earlier.
Lucifer opened his eyes, resignation and fear colored his face. As I looked into his eyes I came to realize that what he showed to us at that moment was indeed honest. The manipulator disappearing for a brief moment. “He thinks our creations should feel a debt of eternal gratitude to us. That we are the spirit of the universe. It seems he has forgotten that we too come from something greater than ourselves.”
Uriel was the first to really react to what Lucifer had said. “Let me make sure I am clear on this,” he said. He carefully placed his elbows on his crossed knees and and rested his chin on his hands. He looked calm, at least until you looked into his pale blue eyes, they were anything but calm. “Elohim is placing himself above the universe and the balance that we are supposed to uphold?”
“It appears that way,” Lucifer replied. Uriel looked at me, seeking some sort of verification.
“What Lucifer says is true. Elohim expressed the same things to myself and Gabriel. There is more but I feel Lucifer should continue. Gabriel and I will tell our sides when he is done.” I didn't want any of what had happened to remain a secret.
“I am getting a bit ahead of what happened,” Lucifer stated. “Thank you for keeping me on track Remiel.” It was obvious, at least to me, that gratitude was not exactly what he was feeling at that moment. “By this point she was almost done. I was torn, I wanted him to bring her to life because I wanted to see if the design worked but I felt that how he viewed her would upset the balance. I set her aside and went to speak with him. I appealed to him to further explain what he meant. He launched into quite a speech but I will sum it up for all of you. Elohim feels that there is nothing beyond or greater than us, that the direction we get from the universe is merely our own ideas based upon eons of building and populating worlds. He believes that since he is the only one of us that can grant the gift of life to the more complicated creatures that he is voice of the universe and therefore the balance.”
Raphael lunged to his feet. “He what?” Emerald green flashes darted around the clearing, startling all of us.
“Why didn't you call us immediately?” Raguel asked. Lucifer looked at me, his expression unreadable.
“What would that have accomplished?” Lucifer's haughty nature reasserted itself. “Have any of you ever been capable of swaying Elohim from a chosen path like I can? Honestly brothers, if all of you had come charging in what exactly could you have done? Would you truly understand what he was proposing before this morning when he brought her to life?”
“You think you are the only one he listens to?” Michael asked. “You, as usual think too highly of your own skills.” Lucifer walked over to Michael and crouched down in front of him.
“Ah yes, loyal, steadfast Michael. Elohim told me he came to you and Gabriel first with this idea and you dismissed him. I was not the only one who knew what he planned. I don't remember either of you expressing any concern this morning or before that. Perhaps I missed a meeting?” Michael's green eyes grew hard and the two of them locked gazes briefly, Michael was the first to look away.
“No you did not. Gabriel and I did not inform anyone of Elohim's plan, it is true.”
“Indeed it is. Anyone else remember a conversation with Elohim about this?” Lucifer asked, waving his arm to encompass all of us. I watched as all of my brothers slowly dropped their eyes to the ground. “So then, all of you already knew.”
“Not true Lucifer,” Uriel stated. “We all had brief conversations with him. You were truly the only one who knew the full extent of his plans.”
“I'll grant you that Uriel, however I knew that Elohim had already spoken to all of you before and each and every one of you dismissed him. What makes you think he would then take anything any of you said with any seriousness? It was I, and only I, that had worked with him on this. I felt if any of us had a chance to stop him it would be me.”
Seraqual rolled his eyes, “Well we can all see how well that worked can't we?”
Lucifer glared at him. “Elohim is nothing if not stubborn and it appeared that he had been contemplating these things for much longer than I think any of us realize. It became apparent to me that even if I did something to make this creation fail he would just keep trying and I refuse to have anything we create be forced to feel a certain way. We were created with a purpose, I have never forgotten that and will do everything I can to protect the balance. I hoped that when this one awoke and he understood that she could be aware of us without being a slave or be turned into a being who's entire purpose was to bow to him he would accept that he can be loved without being feared. It seems that is not to be.”
Gabriel finally spoke up, “Perhaps if you had not been so eager to take over instructing her and at least gave him a chance to spend time with her that would have worked. From the moment she woke up she has consumed your attention.”
Lucifer's pale yellow eyes flashed and his aura smoldered, a sunset consumed by fire. “She has consumed my attention because she is under my protection. He means to reduce her to nothing, where she places him above all of us. She will not be allowed to think or feel anything unless he approves of it. I gave her a gift, she has become part of me and I will not let him have her!”
“She's part of you? Explain yourself!” Michael's voice reverberated across the meadow and he stood up, briefly towering over Lucifer. Lucifer rose to his feet and encroached into Michael's space.
Fear flowed through me as I watched the rest of my brothers stand up, green, blue, lavender, silver and gold lighting flickered through the air. Power I had never felt started pressing against me, buffeting against my mind. High pitched tones filled my ears as the wind started to rush by me in ever more powerful gusts.
“I found a way to impart part of my essence into her.” Lucifer's words were filled with power, power none of us had ever experienced before. “I did it without telling him. That was what all of you felt when she awoke. She carries a bit of our power in her and as such will never be compelled to bow to any of us. Say what you will, I did what I thought was best to keep her safe from him.”
Michael's arms flashed out to shove Lucifer away. “You have gone too far! You deceived us all this morning didn't you? Arrogant and selfish as always. We should destroy her now.”
I remember feeling both sick and oddly exhilarated. “What would that accomplish? Michael stand down!” I had never ordered any of my brothers before. “Gabriel and I spoke with Elohim. He has already stated that he will make more of these since he knows how to. Are we to become destroyers and not creators?”
“If that means restoring the balance than yes!” Michael shouted back.
“How do you propose to stop Elohim from making more?” Uriel pointed out. “We can destroy every one he makes but it will address the true problem and that is his madness. We cannot destroy him. If we do we cannot keep the balance at all.”
“Ahh Uriel. You have always seen to the true nature of things.” Elohim's voice came to us from across the meadow. We all turned to face him. He slowly walked towards us, flames from his aura deflecting any lighting from us that got to close. He had a look of smug self satisfaction written across his face. “I'm saddened I wasn't invited to this gathering. Perhaps it is just as well, I doubt you would have been so truthful if I had been in your presence. It's so distressing to me that not a single one of you see things like I do. Look at her.” He appeared next to Lillith and crouched down next to her. “Isn't she beautiful? Yet she is only that way because Lucifer and I made her so. What is so wrong with wanting her to understand that? Her intelligence, beauty, independence and even her gift of Lucifer's energy, all of that has nothing to do with her. She should appreciate that shouldn't she? How does that disturb the balance in any way?”
He stood and walked over to Lucifer whose face had grown wary. It was as if Lucifer realized that he had missed some crucial point in his calculations.
“Dearest, dearest Lucifer. All that skill you have is meaningless isn't it? You could design a million of her and they would all languish, lifeless unless I chose to act. Yet none of you truly seem to acknowledge that do you? It is my choice that ultimately affects this balance you are all so concerned about. What is this balance we so strive to maintain? Will the universe implode if we create one creature that shows us the respect we deserve? I doubt it. You all seem to think I am insane or disturbed in some way. I assure you I am not. Brothers, you are the ones who fail to understand. Don't worry, I am not upset at the fact that you were here conspiring against me. I understand how the ideas I am offering are overwhelming and unsettling to you. To be honest I am even thankful that Lucifer gifted her with his energy. It was something I had never contemplated before, perhaps I will add that into the next ones I create. She will need a mate after all and they should be equals don't you think?”
My brothers were all stunned into complete and utter silence. Elohim's whole presence and attitude were so completely different than anything we had ever seen from him. He truly thought that he was the voice of the universe and his choices were the only ones that mattered. I took a deep breath and tried to reason with him.
“Please, please don't continue with this. Your power is indeed great Elohim but we all have parts to play, we all must work together. These creations, what you wish of them, I don't understand why it is so important to you that they acknowledge us. Isn't it enough that we can look upon this world and see the fruits of our labor? Why should any of the animals that move upon this world stop and bow before us?”
“Does not the prey animal stop and quiver when it senses a predator? We have built that into them have we not? We already design weaker and stronger animals to maintain the higher balance correct?”
My stomach dropped, I glanced at Lucifer. In all the years we had existed Lucifer had never looked defeated, yet he did now. He knew where Elohim was going to go with this thought and that some of our brothers would end up agreeing with him. I had to answer the question honestly.
“Yes, but this is different.” Even as I said it I in found myself partially agreeing with Elohim.
“No it isn't, you just haven't accepted it. Don't worry. I'll give you all time to come around. You have to eventually, after all I am the one that controls what we do, aren't I.” He gave us such a look then. It was filled with utter superiority and contempt of us. “Oh and Lucifer, make sure to inform her that she will have a mate soon. I'll inform you when he is ready.” He reached out his hand and patted Lucifer on the cheek then walked to Lillith and stood over her. Lucifer's hands clenched.
“Don't worry brother, I'll let her stay as she is.” Elohim said, then he vanished.